Social media has evolved way beyond sharing personal updates and socializing with friends and family; It has become a major moneymaker for countless creators and brands. According to statista.com, social media ad spending in 2021 was at approximately 132 billion dollars and is expected to exceed 200 billion by 2024.  

One platform, in particular, Instagram, saw an estimated 26.46 billion dollars in advertising revenue in 2021 and is projected to reach 39.7 billion in 2023. With so many opportunities to reach a wider audience and increase sales online, selecting the right ad type and budget is important. In this article, we will explore the various ways you can convert your Instagram content into revenue-generating posts. 

There are various ways to advertise on Instagram. From simply turning a post into an ad to building multi-platform campaigns with Ads Manager, engaging with customers and converting likes to sales has never been easier. And what is more, the return on investment is totally worth it! Here are two ways you can get started with easy Instagram ads that pack a big punch. 

 Boosting Posts

Users are attracted to Instagram because of the eye-catching content about topics they are interested in. They scroll their feed and search by topic hashtags to find stuff they like. The first way to reach more people with Instagram ads is to boost your posts. 

Step 1: Create a post and publish it to your grid. 

Step 2: Click the blue “Boost Post” button.

Step 3: Select your goal. You can choose from “More Profile Visits,” More website Visits,” or “More Messages.” 

Step 4: Define your audience. You will want to target people most similar to your current, engaged fans, and get specific with the demographics such as age, location and interests. If you prefer, you can select “Automatic” and let Instagram define this for you. 

Step 5: Set a budget and duration. You can set a budget as low as $1 a day or as high as $1,000 per day. The amount you select to spend per day will impact the total number of people who will see your ad. However, even the smallest budgets are a step closer to increased exposure. Instagram will show you an estimated reach depending on the budget and duration you select. 

Step 6: Preview your ad and pay. Once you review the ad, add in a payment method and you are all set to go. 

Reels Ads

You can also turn your Reels into a 15-60 second vertical format video ad where people comment, share, like, save and engage with it right in the app. Reels ads are delivered in the App with organic Reels and show up at the top of the screen, making them a powerful tool for being discovered by new people. You will need to make sure that you have a business account so you can access Ads Manager to run a Reels ad.

Step 1: Create the content. Have your video recorded, music or sound selected and all your captions and hashtags written. 

Step 2: In the Ads Manager, click, “Create.”

Step 3: Select the objective for your ad which can be to increase reach, conversions, views, etc. 

Step 4: Complete all the details for your ad such as the daily budget and how long you want it to run. 

Step 5: Determine the ad placement. If you select “Manual Placement,” it will run as a standalone Reels ad. If you select “Automatic Placements,” it will automatically include the Reels ad in your video campaigns. 

Step 6: Determine your call to action (CTA). This is the desired action you want viewers to take when they watch your Reels ad. 

A Few Important Things to Remember

When creating your ad content, be mindful of Instagram’s rules. All ads are reviewed and may not publish if they violate Instagram’s advertising policies. For example, Instagram prohibits content that includes illegal products or services, discrimination, tobacco-related products, weapons, adult content, and more. You can read the full list here. 

And if you are thinking, “I don’t have the time or fancy equipment to make a high-quality ad-worthy short video for an Instagram ad,” stop right there! Instagram itself has said that low-production video can yield high engagement. Lo-fi style videos are videos that have a DIY look and feel and users are showing they enjoy this type of content. Here are some examples of brands using this approach to give you some encouragement and inspiration. 

Hopefully, you have seen the possibilities that await you with Instagram ads and are fired up to run out and start recording your first video now! We’ll be looking for you!